About the BCIET

The Berry College Intercollegiate Equestrian Team is a Club Sports organization. Anyone who is interested may join, but there are a limited number of spots on the riding team. In order to ride, students must try out at the beginning of the fall and/or spring semester, and then are placed on ‘Show’ team, ‘Intraining’ team, or are identified as an ‘Associate’ member (non-riding member). Students on the ‘Show’ or ‘Intraining’ team must pay $85/year to join. Associate members do not pay a club fee.

Members ride up to four to five times a week depending on initiative and skill level. All members are expected to attend team meetings and fundraising events, and help at the Berry IHSA horse shows. The BCIET officers provide strong leadership and initiative, and often organize many events, including a team retreat and clinics.

In the fall of 2007, the equestrian team will become a varsity sport at Berry. If one is interested in being a candidate for the varsity roster, send a riding resume and video to:

Margaret Knight
Head Coach, Equestrian
PO Box 490054
Mount Berry, Ga. 30149

For further information, feel free to contact Coach Knight at (706)238-5854 or mknight@berry.edu.

'Show' Team: The 'Show' Team consists of 30 - 35 riders and competes against other colleges and universities within a three-state region. The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) is designed to allow students to compete regardless of level of riding experience or horse ownership. Riders travel to different colleges as well as host Berry's shows. They compete against others within their level of riding ability in both hunt seat and western divisions. Classes extend from individuals with virtually no riding experience to those whom have competed at nationally recognized events. The hunter seat team is currently ranked 2nd in the Region, and has placed as high as 5 th in the Nation in 2002. The western team is ranked first in the Region and 3 rd in the Zone. In 1999, the western team was awarded the Reserve National Championship title.

'Riding fee: In addition to the $85 for club dues, all show team riders are required to pay a fee of $150/semester for lessons and additional riding.  Riding scholarships are available by means of the team's sponsor, The Irby Family.  For more information about scholarships, contact Coach Margaret Knight at mknight@berry.edu.

'In-training' Team: The 'In-training' Team consists of 5 - 10 members. These members usually ride once a week and can be moved up to the 'Show' Team at the coach's discretion. Members who are not interested in competing or those who need more riding time make up the majority of the 'In-training' Team. In the fall of 2007, when the team becomes varsity, there will only be a 'Show' Team.

'Riding fee: In addition to the $85 for club dues, all in-training riders are required to pay a fee of $50/semester for one lesson a week.